Wayne County Care Center adapting to daily changes
Employees at the Wayne County Care Center were recently treated to a visit from Buehler’s Food Truck. According to Assistant Administrator Kelli Beckler, staff members have done a tremendous job of implementing procedural changes when mandated by various government agencies.
Staff at the Wayne County Care Center (WCCC) were recently treated to a visit from Ferris, the Buehler’s food truck, for their ongoing efforts while caring for residents at the facility.
“We wanted to do something to recognize the staff for their hard work and dedication,” said Kelli Beckler, assistant administrator of the WCCC. “We recently passed a state survey for infection control, and we are incredibly pleased about that. We didn’t have any citations.”
The Ohio Department of Health conducts inspections — or surveys — regularly at nursing homes and care facilities for compliance with state and federal rules and regulations to ensure the quality of care and quality of life of the residents, according to odh.ohio.gov.
The inspection consisted of both on- and off-site evaluations. “We had to show them all of the policies we have in place,” Beckler said. “They toured the building and spoke with staff and residents.”
Each nursing home and care facility receives an unannounced inspection every nine to 15 months, and every aspect of the operation is evaluated based on state and federal laws and rules. And According to Beckler, staff at the care center has been doing a tremendous job of adapting to daily procedural changes due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We get updates daily from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Ohio Department of Health, and the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services, she continued. “We have to review each new directive and implement them.”
Wayne County Care Center staff have been judicious about implementing new policies as they receive them.
“When everything started in March, there were a lot of changes to make,” Beckler said. “We have to do a lot of things differently. Though there have been a lot of changes, I know that each staff member has our residents’ needs at heart. They put them first and do whatever it takes to protect them.”
Employees at the center must go through a protocol before starting their shift each day. In addition, employees were tested for COVID-19 last month by the Ohio National Guard.
“We have one door that staff enters the building through, and each employee must be screened,” Beckler said. “They are asked a series of questions, and their temperature is taken before going to work.”
For additional information about the Wayne County Care Center, visit www.waynecountycarecenter.com.
Dan Starcher is a public communications specialist for the Wayne County government.